Persona QQQ
by DevilsArcadia777
Summary: The Persona-users cross time and space to assemble as a new tale that pits mankind against the gods and demons that rule over them unfolds...a Persona Q AU featuring all of the Persona-users from all five games.
1. Prologue

_Persona Q__QQ__: Insanity of the Labyrinth_

Synopsis: A _Persona Q _AU/series of vignettes that features _all _of the Persona users across all five games (with some special consideration for the _Persona 2 _duo logy). All of the series' Velvet Room assistants come together after all is said and done to muse over (and dump on) their very special guests; they choose to do so while listening to a series of recordings taken during their adventures. These recordings showcase their insane shenanigans, explain why all of the Persona users apparently come from Japan, and ask whether or not most of their problems could have been solved had they just used firearms like the Mikage-cho Persona users did.

-x-

….…

_?/?/Unknown 11:55:59_

_Beginning Playback_

"_This recording will serve as a reminder of the guests who bravely fought in the margin and survived, despite the odds stacked against them and the consequences of merely being present there. This, and the following recordings of the events that took place at the margin - placed in the year 1999 in Yasogami High School in the Japanese rural town of Yasoinaba - will serve as the sole proof of the battle against Chronos and his minions. Every Persona-user here is listed with their true Personae, inherent Arcana –"_

The recording cut off there, having been taken over by another recording - an irritating jingle turned worse with the 90's electronic synth that had the displeasure of gracing many a Eurobeat and Japanese pop song. It would be a stretch to say that this jingle mangled the hell out of synth, but it sure as hell outright butchered jazz _and _enka. Those people had the _gall_ to make those versions!

"_Welcome to the Satomi Tadashi Drug Store!_

_To recover hit points, use Medicine or Gems!_

_When trouble arises and your friends are almost dying,_

_rescue them with a Revival Bead or an Incense of Life!_

_You can recover SP with a Chewing Soul,_  
><em>To cure poison, an Antidote will work.<em>  
><em>When seeing illusions, use an Awaken G, <em>  
><em>And when enraged, a Sedative will do!<em>

_The eternal ally of those who fight,_  
><em>Our city 's friendly drug store!"<em>

"_Satomi Tadashi Drug Store: The eternal ally to those who fight since 1987! Now available at our pharmacy: Priapo G, Japan's number one treatment for erectile dysfunction!"_

Elizabeth's hands, fidgeting as if they had been electrocuted, mashed the crap out of the fast forward button, letting it run for a moment before hitting play again.

"_If you have an erection lasting four or more hours –"_

Click!

For once in her life, Elizabeth was sheepish. Her brother and sister shot her death glares worthy of the average house cat, the demon painter gave her a sneer, and Marie, the nameless pianist, and Belladonna stared like overly curious puppies. Counting to five in her head, she hit play again, and the recording continued.

"_- and weapons of choice. Everyone has recorded their names, so that we may never, ever forget them."_

The recording stopped briefly, the tape inside whirring loudly. One by one, new voices took over.

* * *

><p><em>Mikage-cho, 1996<em>

_Leader: Naoya Tudou_

_Primary Arcana: The Emperor_

_Persona: Seimen Kongou/Amon Ra_

_Main Weapon: One-Handed Sword_

_Main Firearm: Sub-machine gun_

_Maki Sonomura_

_Primary Arcana: The High Priestess_

_Persona: Matsu/Verdandi_

_Main Weapon: Bow and Arrow_

_Main Firearm: Handgun_

_Masao Inaba_

_Primary Arcana: The Chariot_

_Persona: Ogun/Susano-O_

_Main Weapon: Hand Axe _

_Main Firearm: Pump-Action Shotgun_

_Kei Nanjo_

_Primary Arcana: The Hierophant_

_Persona: Aizen Myouou/Yamaoka_

_Main Weapon: Two-Handed Sword_

_Main Firearm: Rifle_

_Hidehiko Uesugi_

_Primary Arcana: Justice_

_Persona: Nemhain/Tyr_

_Main Weapon: Spear_

_Main Firearm: TMP Machine Gun_

_Eriko Kirishima_

_Primary Arcana: Judgment_

_Persona: Nike/Gabriel_

_Main Weapon: Rapier_

_Main Firearm: Rifle_

_Yuka Ayase_

_Primary Arcana: The Magician_

_Persona: Houri/Freyr_

_Main Weapon: Whip_

_Main Firearm: Handgun_

_Reiji Kido_

_Primary Arcana: The Devil_

_Persona: Bres/Mot_

_Main Weapon: Martial Arts (Boxing)_

_Main Firearm: Assault Rifle_

_Yukino Mayuzumi_

_Primary Arcana: The Empress_

_Persona: Vesta/Durga_

_Main Weapon: Razorblades_

_Main Firearm: Double-barreled Shotgun_

* * *

><p><em>Sumaru City, 19992000_

_Leader #1: Tatsuya Suou_

_Primary Arcana: The Sun_

_Persona: Vulcanus/Apollo_

_Main Weapon: Two-handed Sword_

_Lisa Silverman_

_Primary Arcana: The Lovers_

_Persona: Eros/Venus_

_Main Weapon: Martial Arts (Kung Fu)_

_Eikichi Mishina_

_Primary Arcana: Death_

_Persona: Rhadamanthus/Hades_

_Main Weapon: Concealed Machinegun_

_Jun Kurosu_

_Primary Arcana: The Wheel of Fortune_

_Persona: Hermes/Chronos_

_Main Weapon: Flowers_

_Leader #2: Maya Amano_

_Primary Arcana: The Moon_

_Persona: Maia/Artemis_

_Main Weapon: Two Handguns_

_Katsuya Suou_

_Primary Arcana: Justice_

_Persona: Helios/Hyperion_

_Main Weapon: Semi-automatic Pistol_

_Ulala Serizawa_

_Primary Arcana: The Star_

_Persona: Callisto/Asteria_

_Main Weapon: Martial Arts (Boxing)_

_Baofu_

_Primary Arcana: The Hanged Man_

_Persona: Odysseus/Prometheus_

_Main Weapon: Coins_

* * *

><p><em>Iwatodai, 2009<em>

_Leader: Makoto Yuki_

_Primary Arcana: The Fool_

_Persona: Orpheus/Messiah_

_Main Weapon: One-handed Sword_

_Yukari Takeba_

_Primary Arcana: The Lovers_

_Persona: Io/Isis_

_Main Weapon: Bow and Arrow_

_Junpei Iori_

_Primary Arcana: The Magician_

_Persona: Hermes/Trismegistus_

_Main Weapon: Two-handed Sword_

_Akihiko Sanada_

_Primary Arcana: The Emperor_

_Persona: Polydeuces/Caesar_

_Main Weapon: Martial Arts (Boxing)_

_Mitsuru Kirijo_

_Primary Arcana: The Empress_

_Persona: Penthesilea/Artemisia_

_Main Weapon: Rapier_

_Fuuka Yamagishi_

_Primary Arcana: The High Priestess_

_Persona: Lucia/Juno_

_Main Weapon: None_

_Aigis_

_Primary Arcana: The Chariot_

_Persona: Palladion/Athena_

_Main Weapon: Attached Firearms_

_Koromaru_

_Primary Arcana: Strength_

_Persona: Cerberus/Laelaps_

_Main Weapon: Knife_

_Ken Amada_

_Primary Arcana: Justice_

_Persona: Nemesis/Kala-Nemi_

_Main Weapon: Spear_

_Shinjiro Aragaki_

_Primary Arcana: The Hierophant_

_Persona: Castor/Vercingetorix_

_Main Weapon: Axe_

* * *

><p><em>Yasoinaba, 2011<em>

_Leader: Yu Narukami_

_Primary Arcana: The Fool_

_Persona: Izanagi/Izanagi-no-Okami_

_Main Weapon: Two-handed Sword_

_Yosuke Hanamura_

_Primary Arcana: The Magician_

_Persona: Jiraya/Susano-O_

_Main Weapons: Twin Blades_

_Chie Satonaka_

_Primary Arcana: The Chariot_

_Persona: Tomoe Gozen/Suzuka Gongen_

_Main Weapon: Martial Arts (Jeet Kune Do)_

_Yukiko Amagi_

_Primary Arcana: The High Priestess_

_Persona: Konohana-Sakuya/Amaterasu_

_Main Weapon: Steel Fan_

_Kanji Tatsumi_

_Primary Arcana: The Emperor_

_Persona: Take-Mikazuchi/Rokuten Maoh_

_Main Weapon: Blunt Objects_

_Rise Kujikawa_

_Primary Arcana: The Lovers_

_Persona: Himiko/Kanzeon_

_Main Weapon: None_

_Teddie_

_Primary Arcana: The Star_

_Persona: Kintoki-Douji/Kamui_

_Main Weapon: Claws_

_Naoto Shirogane_

_Primary Arcana: The Wheel of Fortune_

_Persona: Sukuna-Hikona/Yamato Takeru_

_Main Weapon: Small Revolver_

* * *

><p>With a click, the recording stopped.<p>

Satisfied, Elizabeth set the recorder down and smiled. "That's the whole recording. I'm quite happy that every single one of them agreed to speak for me. I promised them no form of compensation for doing it either."

"All of them spoke without a hint of uneasiness. I'm quite envious of them…" the nameless pianist leaned back, stroking his chin. "It makes me wonder if every single one of them feels…'complete' inside."

"I do not think they are 'complete' in the way that you think that they are, but no doubt that all of them are a step closer to finding something that they desire," Belladonna responded with a smile. "To find something to achieve is the cross that mankind must bear, after all."

"Finding that one thing is in itself a journey…I have no doubt in my mind that every last one of them has found some sort of change from meeting one another," Margaret spoke next, ever thoughtful.

"A grand event that can change the lives of others…but sister, as per the consequences of anyone crossing the margin, their memories were erased…" Theodore said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "How can they be sure that they know they changed? I know it had to be done, but I feel a pang of sadness in my heart nonetheless…"

Elizabeth, in two massive strides, went up to her brother and tugged on his cheeks. "You really are my foolish baby brother, Theo!" She smiled, tugging to the point that tears welled in his eyes. "You cannot write off change so easily. It happens, even in the face of something such as memory loss. My guest may not remember what has happened, or why he and his friends have changed, but he will surely sense it."

"R-Reawwy? Aaaagh!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" She tugged harder.

"Swistweeeeer!"

All of the Velvet Room denizens laughed.

When the air settled, everyone settled back to their seats. An uneasy silence filled the room.

"Say…" Marie, the newest resident, began, "…I wasn't around for some of the stuff that went down. We still have time before the Nose comes back, so…"

"Marie! Are you telling us that you want to have us spend our last moments together listening to all of our guests' follies? I suggest that we do something else," Margaret spoke sternly, giving her a hard stare.

"C'mon, please? Besides _you _recorded some of the weird crap that went down, Margaret. And you used _my _pathos recorder!"

"Now _what _have I said about addressing me without titles or honorifics, Marie?"

"That's not the point!"

"Enough!"

Marie and Margaret halted at once and, like toy soldiers, turned their attention to the demon painter. The man had an air of assertion and confidence that caused even the siblings to turn. As Margaret herself had learned, the artist had little tolerance for tomfoolery and absolutely none for harassment…

"I have saved some of the takoyaki and anmitsu from the festival, and there is tea on the table. Belladonna, the pianist and I do not have long before we must depart. I would actually like to listen to some of these recordings. A wise man once said that every person's memory is his or her own private literature...a painting drawn from the depths of their souls, if you will. Won't you let me indulge for a bit?"

His tilted chin and crossed arms were stern indicators that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Margaret humbly set the recorder down, sighing in defeat.

"Think of this as a learning opportunity for all of you. The three of us need some inspiration, and you siblings need an answer, no? It'll be fun, _and _educational." The painter let out a small chuckle as he pressed the play button.

Theodore's face contorted to a look of worry. "Fun, _and _educational? But Demon Painter-san, Junpei-san and Teddie-san claimed to me that those concepts contradict one another! It's not possible to marry 'fun' and 'education' together. They have told me horror stories of the results of people trying to marry the two concepts together…Junpei-san told me the dreaded American-made abomination of a purple dinosaur that supposedly sings Satanic songs to schoolchildren, and Teddie-san tells me the horrors of this strange idol who teaches children how to cook by morphing into an animated –"

"Theo…stop. Just…stop."

Theo sighed as the recorder began to play…

* * *

><p>FOOTNOTES<p>

Hey there, readers. This is probably my first full blown attempt to get back into writing for fun after a number of years. I made a fic that you can find in my profile that I'm a bit ashamed of now, but I read it every so often to cheer myself up.

Given the dissatisfaction with some of _Persona Q's _offerings (namely, the lack of the P1 and P2 cast), I decided to make an AU. The plot will start off the same as the game, and diverge in due time. Due to the nature of my life schedule, I decided to do quick-ish vignettes and self-contained stories instead of one long narrative; I feel like it keeps me more focused.

Also, the worlds that the first three games and the latter two games are pretty split, so I'll mesh them together the best I can; there may be some OOC lingering for some gags, and I'm not the best writer out there by a long shot. Feel free to put in some critiques.


	2. How the heck we got here (Part 1)

_Our Players This Time:  
><em>

Katsuya Suou: A by-the-books detective working for Sumaru's police department. He has a little brother named Tatsuya.

Baofu: Formerly known as Kaoru Saga, this steel-hearted man runs a rumor website and is a skilled wire-tapper.

Ulala Serizawa: A lingerie saleswoman and Maya's roommate. Though crass, she values Maya and her companions greatly.

Maya Amano: A cheerful editor working for Coolest, a teen magazine. She seems to possess hidden memories...

Tatsuya Suou: A solemn young man acting older. He holds two sets of memories for some reason...

* * *

><p><em>How the Heck We Got Here (Part 1)<em>

_…..._

_10/04/2000_

_Hotel Pleiades, "Ebony" bar_

_Beginning Playback_

If there was one thing that sergeant Katsuya Suou learned from all of this madness, it was to take everything with a grain of salt. He hung his head in defeat and sighed when he eyed Maya Amano speaking with that weird Middle Eastern tradesman who frequented this bar. Her face lit up at the exchange: a number of tarot cards that the Velvet Room residents could use for summoning more Personas from worlds beyond their reach, all in exchange for an map that looked like it was drawn by a six year old in Macrosoft Paint. Sumaru City had literally turned into its own insane asylum. Implications aside, the worst part about that was Tatsuya – his precious little brother, who was now a living example of things Katsuya had only seen in art house films – had told him that the Sumaru City that was bombarded with rumors on the "Other Side" was ten times nuttier.

He remembered how animated and horrified Tatsuya looked when he mentioned that a teacher at his school, a woman the students dubbed "Ideal-sensei," caused a lot of shit to hit the fan during the mess that happened on the Other Side.

"I knew there was something fishy about Ideal-sensei from the start…when the Seven Sisters clock tower started working again, she made this weird, _weird _pout and high tailed it to the Narlato Stone, yelling that it was 'time,' like something out of a bad anime…oh, and _then _she tells us that Sumaru's the cradle of all civilization, which any sixth grader can tell you isn't true, and then when the Nazis showed up…"

"_I'm going to take a solid month off of work when all of this is over…and maybe give the psychotherapist a visit…or ten…" _

Even as his mind began to fade, he could still hear the chatter around him, albeit less intelligible. Maya and Ulala, rambling on and on about the Other Side, Tatsuya grumbling about something, Baofu muttering about something else, something, something, something...

**...bong...**

...A bell?

Katsuya was on drastically short supply for sleep, but he swore to himself that he heard something like a church bell. He remembered how the sole Christian church in the city rang that bell for funerals...that church was torn down years ago though. He gave a knowing glance to the editor and her friend. Their wary glances told him that they heard it as well. Before he could speak, Baofu, ever the mood killer, placed himself between Katsuya and the ladies and began another chat.

Katsuya sighed as his head hit the bar top. The trek through Mt. Iwato, on top of that wild goose chase with Takahisa Kandori in the underwater ruins, left him reeling. They needed to chase Tatsuzou Sudou posthaste, but all that mattered to the police officer at the moment was his much-needed Blue Lagoon with the most potent vodka money could buy. Maybe later, he could have an entire _dacquoise _for himself from Clair de Lune. He felt like he deserved one.

"Suou, if you fall asleep here, I swear that I'll take that girly drink of yours and shove it up your-"

"YOU'RE BUSTED, DEMON!"

All of the fighting had given Katsuya a sixth sense. Within less than a second, his Nambu pistol was out, nuzzling Baofu's nose. Helios was ready to pounce out of him.

"Damn Suou, I didn't know you could control your own _chi _like that. Put that thing away," Baofu retorted, hands up. To the police officer's surprise, Baofu's expression remained steeled. Thank goodness he didn't whip his semi-automatic at him by accident.

It took several deep breaths for Katsuya to calm down, and he slowly returned the Nambu to his holster. Baofu had told him a number of times to ditch it; he was ejected from the force, and thanks to the rumors, more powerful and efficient guns were now for sale (something that, even in a place like Sumaru, shook the city a bit, given Japan's stance on gun ownership). He got a semi-automatic similar to the ones he'd seen a few of his seniors at the station possessed, but the Nambu held sentimentality to him.

"Sorry…I'm wiped out…" He hung his head low, uncaring about what Baofu had to say next. "Just…tell me what we're doing next."

Baofu knew better at this point. He himself had his own inner demons to contend with. He wouldn't admit it, but he was as bushed as the rest of them. He also desperately needed a shower. "Some intrepid reporters spotted Tatsuzou meandering north of the Narumi Ward. We can catch a breath for a spell, but not for long. Besides, after some research, there aren't a lot of whacky rumors that we can exploit at the moment."

"Seriously?"

"I only caught wind of two. One of 'em's in effect, but it seems harmless.

"Is that so?"

"The one not active's about a river near the beach, and the one that is active tells of a new coffee place that opened near the harbor." As he rummaged in his briefcase for a pamphlet about the place, Maya, her friend Ulala, and Tatsuya had come to join them. "Let's see…'come on down to Brewed Awakening, the hottest new coffee spot, dedicated to helping you take on the day. Our beans are cold-pressed with the rejuvenating waters of the river Mnemosyne. One small cup of our coffee will restore and revitalize your mind, making memories from yesterday to decades ago return to you instantly…' I know it's a rumor, but it sounds like complete BS to me."

"Uh…how the hell do you say that? Memo…mena…memah…ah…" Ulala's brows furrowed.

"Meh-mo-sine," Maya suddenly interjected. Like a switch, she merrily pulled out a "Greek Mythology for Dummies" book that Eriko had given to them on a whim. "Mnemosyne, a Titaness, embodiment of memory, and the mother of the Nine Muses, with Zeus as the father!"

Maya, ever the ray of sunshine. None of them could frown in her presence.

"Is that right, Amano? Tell us more, something that might help," Baofu said.

"Let's see…Mnemosyne grants kings and poets the power of authoritative speech, and they in turn are given a special relationship with the Muses…she slept with Zeus nine nights in a row and conceived the Muses…goodness, the Greek Myths are weird…"

"A lot of myths and religions are like that, Ma-ya. You should read the Bible," Ulala snickered.

"Hmm…memory…it says here that according to some poetry in the Orphic mysteries, she resided over a pool of water in the underworld that served as a counterpart to the river Lethe."

"Lethe?"

"Lethe…Lethe…" Pages flipped. "Ah, Lethe. Personification of oblivion and forgetfulness. Dead souls drank from her river so that they could forget their past lives when they were reborn. Some mystery religions, in turn, gave the dead a choice between drinking from Lethe's and Mnemosyne's rivers. Drinking from the river Mnemosyne not only allowed the dead to keep their memories from their previous lives intact, but they'd gain omniscience as well…" She flipped some more pages before shutting the book. "That's all the important stuff on her."

"Another Greek god…" Baofu mused. They had seen their fair share of them during their adventure. "Seems like her domain is all about memories…the pamphlet was right. The coffee's potent enough to rejuvenate a person's memories...seems pretty exploitable, actually. Amano, you call the shots on this one. Should we scope the place, or go after Tatsuzou?"

She pondered the choices: The subway was in the northern half of the ward, and Tatsuzou was biding time, but close to it. On the other hand, they could be in for a world of trouble if some nut went to the coffee shop and exploited its newfound powers. Her reporter's instinct needed to straighten the facts. She opted for a third option instead: "Who was the one who spread the rumor?"

That was Maya, always more intuitive than she seemed. "According to Uchida," Baofu began, "The one who asked for it to be spread was a white-haired man in his fifties. I think he runs the clock shop at the Lotus Plaza mall."

"This is going to sound silly," Katsuya piqued, "But something about him…I can't put my finger on it, but…maybe we should go, just in case…Tatsuya, what do you –"

***crash***

"The hell!? Tatsuya!"

The boy in question jumped out of the window and, because he had become so devil-may-care, he hijacked a bus parked outside. He beelined south, right to the newfound shop. The little bastard had caused enough trouble for the adults, but he was their main lead for ending this mess. In a flash, everyone was out the door giving chase, Katsuya flailing his arms in panic.

"Tatsuya, wait! You don't have a license to drive a bus!"

* * *

><p>FOOTNOTES: SPOILERS AHOY!<p>

I'm doing a crapshoot for _Eternal Punishment's _time frame, which I'm putting at about three or four months. As for the current setting, it takes place after the party meets up with Tatsuya and treks through Mt. Iwato, where he tells them about the "Other Side" - the world where _Innocent Sin _takes place in, which was destroyed at the end of it. At that point, whomever your fifth party member was (either Kei Nanjo or Eriko Kirishima, depending on a particular rumor you spread) leaves, and Tatsuya joins. While Tatsuya's _Innocent Sin _party members (introduced in the next chapter) all agree to give up their memories in exchange for creating the new world in the wake of its destruction, Tatsuya does not, which results in _EP's _Tatsuya retaining all of his memories from the Other Side, while his former allies, including Maya (the _EP _protagonist), all have new memories. The exchange for the new world was erasing the day that the _IS _cast met when they were children, hence, they no longer know one another in the _EP _world.

After Mt. Iwato, Maya and her group's next plan is to chase after Tatsuzou Sudou, the head of the New World Order, into a subway where he plans to raise a mammoth sized ship intended to enter outer space. This is during the latter stages of the game. Also, in Mt. Iwato, there are four items that the party must get to obtain their personal Ultimate Personas, so go under the assumption that they were obtained, but not used. When I say "personal," I'm referring to the fact that in the first three games, all of the party members could summon multiple Personas, and none of them are affiliated with the Fool Arcana. One point of contention that I do like about those games is that they better define what a "persona," both as a power and its regular definition, really is: a facade, or a person's inner angels and demons. _3 _and _4 _give off the impression that if you have the Fool Arcana innately, you're pretty much a special snowflake :/. While it goes along with the player defining the otherwise silent protagonist, the first three games also had their protagonists silent. It also seems as if the others only have one, default facade. They're rigid, they only change in one direction, and in a way, it reminds me of how blow out of proportion some of the characters' personality traits get in _Persona Q. _

...end rant. Sorry, wanted to get that out there. This is the intro to all of the cast of _Persona 2, _and it'll continue next.


	3. How the heck we got here (Part 2)

_Our Players This Time  
><em>

Lisa Silverman: A Caucasian second year and rising idol at Seven Sisters High. She has been raised in Japan her entire life.

Eikichi Mishina: A flamboyant second year at Kasugayama High. He's the leader of a band named Gas Chamber.

Jun Kashihara: A reserved third year at Kasugayama high. He's quite sly, despite his effeminate appearance.

* * *

><p><em>How the Heck We Got Here (Part 2)<em>

The past few months had been nothing but a bewildering, bizarre ocean of déjà vu for the three students that happened to meet one fateful day. They were so drastically different in looks and hobbies, yet here they were, at a brand new coffee shop, all of them curious to get to know one another. Of course, the rumors about the omniscience-giving coffee bought them there too. Even at Kasugayama, the school for delinquent boys, it was a booming new trend.

"Who'd have thought that all the dregs from my school would come down here for a cup of coffee? I mean, look at this place. It's…kind of girly." Eikichi Mishina, a revered figure at Kasugayama, swept his arm so as to draw attention. He was right on some counts: the walls were a dusty pink color, delicately cast iron garden shelves were the primary décor, and the air was perfumed with daisies. His upperclassman, Jun Kashihara, delicately plucked one from its pot.

"White daisies are a classic symbol of innocence," he spoke to no one in particular in a hushed tone. "Of course, like roses, they hold many meanings depending on the color."

"Kashihara-senpai?" Eikichi raised a brow.

"An entire garden of daisies tells us, 'I share your feelings,' or 'I share your sentiments,' but these are in small clusters. For a white daisy alone…it expresses innocence, purity, and loyalty to one's lover. I think there's another message within them, but…"

"That's so romantic, Kashihara-san! Can you tell me more about flower language, please?" Lisa Silverman, the Caucasian Seven Sisters student, leaned closer to him, face lit up.

"You can talk to daisies…how the hell did you wind up at Kasugayama again, Kashihara?" Eikichi sighed. Jun was far too kind and demure to be a student there. His theory only enhanced itself when Jun hopped out of his seat at the sight of another flower near the door, a yellow one that didn't seem to be there before. Jun plucked it out of its stand, studying it.

"What's this flower telling you, Kashihara-san?" asked Lisa.

"Hmm…" The flower in question was a plain-looking yellow thing, having petals similar to the daisies, a large yellow center, and was fairly tall. "I can't really tell by sight alone, but it might be an Adonis flower."

"Adonis…? You mean like, the really good looking Greek guy?" Lisa recalled from one of Ideal-sensei's strange lectures.

"Adonis!? I know what that is! It's a good looking guy who strives to improve his looks without fail…heh, sounds like someone I know." Eikichi smirked. No subtlety was needed to see that he was referring to himself.

"Yes, that's…kind of what an Adonis is…" Jun stuttered. "This flower here, I think, is the _Vernalis _species. They kind of look like daisies…"

"Well, what does it mean?"

Jun's face suddenly contorted to sadness. Though the meaning was short, it was bitter, and he connected it back to all of those dreaded feelings of loneliness and déjà vu that he had been feeling lately.

"…Painful memories."

"Excuse me?"

"Painful memories...I remember now. That's what this flower symbolizes..."

The air around them became a looming cloud of dread…

…Dread?

As if to respond to their dread, a bell rang ominously in the distance, to the confusion of the three.

"...What..."

The bus came flying in like a stampede of animals, flailing about and blazing and blurry, with the horrid odor of gas seeping behind in. Glass and debris shot out like meteorites and smashed onto the streets with abandon, the screams and injuries of bystanders be damned…

With three massive stomps, a figure smashed its way from the driver's side window. The sun struck down behind him, a radiant halo bestowing his visage! The brilliant, flaming aura of Apollo swirled beneath him, hot with passion! Tatsuya Suou, the great atoner, drew out his mighty two-handed blade, determination rendering the birds, the trees, and the terrified civilians (one a senior whose wheelchair had tipped over) asunder with fear! For the three he held dear in another time and place, he was their _Apollo Vidonnus _- their curative spring, there for them to heal their possibly scarred minds, no thanks to the Crawling Chaos himself!

"You three, don't you dare drink that coffee!" Tatsuya shouted, Apollo ready to strike behind him.

The three in question were frozen in place, confusion contorting their faces. Thankfully for them, and unknown to Tatsuya, whose aura had reached past the height of the ceiling, they wouldn't be harmed…

"I'm so sorry, I have to do this…_Nova Kaiser-!"_

Time stopped.

Apollo rose and appeared. He was a majestic figure, donned in a finely tailored pantsuit with red and white stripes, a tailored hanging jacket with gold shoulder pads, and a daunting mask, shaped like a flame, eyes a mysterious, glowing shade of blue. He rose his golden hands, ever so slowly…

A loud clapping sound stung the ears of the witnesses there. A flurry of deadly flames shot up, one after the other, leaving a small crater of destruction in its wake…

"Oh, dear…those poor, poor squirrels…"

...Squirrels!?

The smoke that Apollo's great flames left behind gently fluttered away in the breeze. The jagged crater it left behind left half of the coffee shop in ruins. Broken pots and charred flowers were strewn about, buried underneath heaps of pinkish colored bricks. The wanton destruction had struck fear in the hearts of the witnesses; some had fled, several were scrambling for either a payphone or a cellular for the cops, and some were as slack-jawed as Tatsuya's intended targets. It didn't matter how good the poor boy's intentions were, because a.) the pose he struck reminded everyone around him of the worst aspects of the average episode of _Phoenix Ranger Featherman R, _and b.) his intended targets were completely unharmed.

The charred remains of three innocent little squirrels revealed themselves to him...

"Ah...ahhhh...what the fuck...?" Eikichi stuttered, his eyes sprung from his head like a grasshopper's.

This response prompted Tatsuya, now with the air of despair looming over him, sweat sliding down the back of his neck, tiny, choking gasps coming out of him, to slowly turn, too afraid to look...

Their coffee cups were half-empty.

He prayed to God, Izanagi, Yog-Sothoth, _anyone, _that they had spilled them.

"It's a shame that he destroyed half the shop. This coffee's pretty good," June spoke quietly, too afraid to look at said destroyer.

"I agree. I was gonna bring Asacchi and Meepo here too...I'd buy a bag of coffee beans if I had a roaster."

"Heh, me too!"

A tight line formed on Tatsuya's lips. Only one word could express how he felt at that moment.

"SHIT."

* * *

><p>The adults that had the burden of looking after Katsuya's hellion of a brother all sighed in disbelief. Katsuya, of course, was more concerned over the fact that Tatsuya drove the damn bus without a license, and for that, Baofu "rewarded" his concern with a dope slap and the 317th insult about how much of a dolt he was. By the time they arrived on the scene, it was too late.<p>

"Oh, _God Almighty_...Tatsuya, what in the _hell _have you done?" Katsuya's hands clutched his head. His eyes slid toward Maya - despite the fact that Tatsuya had borked up in the worst way since the X-1 incident near the submarine, her saintlike patience was unwavering. His patience for her devotion was beginning to wear itself thin. "Amano-san, you seriously aren't considering letting him get away with this, are you...!?"

"He...well..." Maya looked indecisive.

"Dammit Amano! Come and help us over here!" Baofu yelled her way. Ulala set aside the three traumatized schoolkids, while Baofu resumed his giving Tatsuya an earful. Despite her reluctance, Katsuya dragged her along, muttering something under his breath.

"...you're the one leading us..."

He had a point.

It went unsaid, but she was the unofficial leader of their motley crew. It could be chalked up to a mixture of circumstances and her ability to persuade people; being an editor did her good in that regard. More than that, though, was the fact that her connection to Tatsuya went beyond mere feelings of déjà vu - it spanned across, of all things, _space-time. _It seemed that those three children were in a similar position; that effeminate looking boy from the delinquent high school had been targeted by JOKER, after all. More and more, that boy was drawing her in, and her inability to resist had consequences.

Tatsuya had told them at Mt. Iwato that she and those three students could not regain their memories of the "Other Side" - that area of space-time - lest they incite the wrath of a horrid being that Maya remembered from some of those nightmarish stories that Ulala loved to tell her. Tatsuya remembered, and he, the city, possibly the rest of the _world_, were paying the price for it...and now, that danger could increase due to yet another stupid rumor...

Breaking monotony from an everyday job was one thing. Having your home city being torn apart by magically-charged rumors made her wish for that monotony back. Adulthood was weird like that.

It took effort on Baofu's end to restrain Tatsuya, who, through sheer desperation, frantically yelled at the confused trio. "That coffee will grant you omniscience because of a rumor! You might find memories that you were unaware that you had...try to block them out! They'll only bring you pain!"

The three of them tilted their heads like a set of dumb puppies. "Er, dude," Eikichi began, "No offense, but omni...whatever the hell that is, sounds awesome. Who cares if I puke in the process? It's worth it." Lisa's face contorted in disgust.

"You don't understand...our whole city, nay, the _world, _will be in danger if you remember...!"

"Remember _what, _exactly?" Lisa asked. "I remember you saying that before...why us three, Senpai?"

She seemed so _calm, _so composed and gentle, yet still firm. The Lisa that Tatsuya remembered was a spitfire, full of passion, always outspoken...it was eerie. In a sense, she showed signs of that ideal Japanese lady that her father wanted on the Other Side. He wasn't so sure that he actually _liked _that...

"You know, you also mentioned something like this at the Sky Museum...I thought that bag man was crazy, but now I'm not so sure...Suou-san..." Jun looked at him, eyes pleading. "You saved me, and Silverman-san, and Mishina-kun, and you then proceed to run off without a word...I don't know what kind of mission you're on, but it seems so important..."

The way that Jun gazed upon him squashed Tatsuya's frustration. That sadness on his face was too much for him to gaze at...

He loved Jun once. Leaving him in particular was brutal.

The air grew thick. The wind on the pier began to pick up, the waves frantically sloshing about. Katsuya raised his head to discover that steel-colored storm clouds were gathering on the horizon.

The bell rang again, louder than before.

"What the hell...?" Tatsuya glanced over at Maya. The fear in her eyes gave way to an unexpected message: _"Something terrible is about to happen!"_

"A storm..." Katsuya stepped forward, ushering Lisa, Eikichi, and Jun toward him. "Come on, we can discuss this elsewh-"

***CRACCCK***

A massive bolt of lightning struck far in the distance. As if a Leviathan were being summoned, the ocean waves churned and rose to great heights. With one fells swoop, one smashed through the pier, taking what was left of the coffee shop with it. The resulting spray soaked Ulala and Baofu, both reeling from shock.

"The fuck!? The pier's gonna flood! We have to get out of here!" Ulala sprang back in fear, clutching Maya's arm.

Even as the group began their sprint, the sea twisted and rose further, and further, thrashing about violently. Their efforts were futile; the more they ran, the longer and larger the waves became. The shops and homes beyond the pier were now being struck, debris flying and wrecking everything in its wake. As Maya and Tatsuya picked up their pace, a massive block of wood struck Maya from behind, slamming her into the ground, to Tatsuya's horror.

"Maya, no-!" His face was a mask of fright, mouth agape. The waves behind her were dragging her in! He lept after her, uncaring of the salt water stinging his eyes, futilely reaching for her hand. He wouldn't lose her again...not like this!

"Tatsuya, are you crazy!?" Katsuya screamed, now clinging desperately to a guardrail that was miraculously intact. Rain began to torrent downward, tearing at his face. The rest of his companions were struggling underneath it, as was he. "You'll drown...!" His voice cracked. "Tatsuya!"

Baofu had a feeling that this was no ordinary storm.

The waves rose to new heights, nearly a hundred feet, and absolutely brutalized the buildings and woods near them. Despite his grip, Jun's grip slipped from the guardrail, and soon, he too was being sucked in by the water. Ulala tried to reach for him, and was brutally punished by being sucked in with him.

"Serizawa, you idiot!" Baofu screamed. Was this the rumor about the ocean at work!? Before he could ponder, A large tree branch collapsed onto his arm. The pain was too much - the ocean took him too, and Katsuya and Eikichi soon followed after being blinded by another branch's splinters.

Lisa looked at the scene in fright. She could see them all being suckered in, dragged under the water, all completely helpless. Her limbs and arms began to burn from grasping the cold, corroding rail. She had spent yesterday negotiating with a lyricist about MUSES' next big hit. She had spent yesterday bonding with her father, a nefarious Japanophile, for the first time in a long time. She had spent yesterday at Kaori, the perfume shop, seeking a birthday present for her mother. She had spent yesterday with said mother, who boldly broke her "Akiko" persona, shed her kimono, and enjoyed a massive, all-beef burger, fries, and a good old chocolate shake at a new 50's America-style establishment at the SMILE Mall. It felt good. She felt as though she had suddenly hit this massive stride in her life, and that if she didn't stop it, everything would be wonderful.

Not only were Tatsuya and these strange adults shaking that stride, now she could possibly _die. _

Why was her head throbbing so hard?

Why were there images of her spiting her father? Sure, she hated his expectations of her sometimes, but to spite him outright?

Why were there images of a man in a flamboyant mask? Why did he call himself the Joker? Wasn't the Joker a man who escaped from the insane asylum?

Why was _Jun _calling himself the Joker?

Why was there a copy of her, red eyes blazing, facing her down?

Why was she fighting a slew of monsters? Why did a strange, ethereal being with a bow and arrow come at her whim and fight alongside her?

Why was that Maya woman bleeding to death...?

A muffled scream and icy cold water rushed over her head, sucking her away as she nearly blacked out. This darkness was cold and harsh, and...eerily familiar.

It felt like she was dying...that too, was familiar.

She found herself with the rest of the group, deep underwater, nothing but silence and the color teal surrounding them...strange, weren't they washed away by frantic waves mere moments ago...? It seemed so peaceful all of a sudden...

She, Eikichi, Jun, Tatsuya, Maya, and those three adults were floating beneath the water, languidly, silently...

She glanced at Maya and Tatsuya, discovering a pair of faces - _familiar _faces - that boasted a mix of confusion and drowsiness. Their eyes were focused, barely, at a soft, violet glow that flickered a ways off.

Everything went black.


	4. How the heck we got here (Part 3)

_How the Heck We Got Here (Part 3)_

"_How a person masters his fate is more important than what is fate is." – Wilheim von Humboldt_

* * *

><p><em>….…<em>

_?/?/?_

_Beginning Playback…_

The jetstream of water distorted, shooting across into what appeared to be an endless void. A flurry of bubbles caressed their skin as they sped onward to a place unknown – somewhere, they'd learn, that was beyond their comprehension. The void became darker and darker, yet the water was eerily warm. Faster and faster they went, all of their bodies being carried on like a rapid, to the point that their bodies began to stretch – it was painful, seeing other bodies contort and stretch.

Silence befell her ears.

The achy bruise on her chest began to sting once more, this time with more force than ever before. Maya Amano wanted to cry out in pain. The silence was maddening, the stretching unbearable, the water like ice ripping through her skin.

Is this what dying felt like?

It was.

She remembered that moment from a time thought to have been long gone, when the Spear of Longinus gored her right rib. Mankind's religious streak and love of ancient tales were what destroyed the world – the legend of the spear had become a rumor! It was a rumor two thousand years strong, and because of it, Maya bled until her final breath. In a grotesque, twisted way, she, who was another face in the crowd on This Side, was the stop guard for the world's destruction on the Other Side, a martyr even. As the torrent rushed further and further, the memories came back to her – there, she was more like a leader. She was Maia, a heavenly mother, especially to poor Jun's Hermes. She was also Artemis to Tatsuya's Apollo, truly like siblings (which made the odd, romantic vibes in her heart directed at him, in retrospect, disturbing.)

This is what Tatsuya was protecting her from…

…

…What was she to do now? There was no reason to pursue him like some lovesick puppy anymore…

…

…What would happen if she chose to stop…?

…

* * *

><p>…<p>

Maya found her body contorting in pain, her left arm numb from her head being planted there for what felt like hours. Her body was awash with cold, her outfit soaked through and through. Even a small stretch felt painful…

"…_Huh? I can stretch? But we…"_

Maya shot up without thinking.

Not even the sharp pain shooting down her back could hide the relief she felt when she realized that all of them, including the school kids, were in the Velvet Room – or so it seemed. She saw Igor's chair in the middle, along with a table, and four doors.

"_Four doors!?" _She gave them a hard stare. There were four of them, all right. But they weren't attached to the wall at all. Instead, they seemed to be just propped up there, like cabinets. On top of that, a whopping set of sixteen different looking locks kept them shut; all of the locks were different, with a unique set of chains attached to each one.

"These locks are complete overkill. I wonder if the Velvet Room denizens are putting on a secret show or something?"Maya thought out loud, not noticing another glaring difference between her Velvet Room and this one.

"If you think that we'd lock our door with locks like these, well…that would go completely, utterly, mind-bogglingly against our purpose, Maya Amano."

A voice with a rich timbre drove her out of her stupor. She spun around, finding herself face-to-face with a tall man with deeply tanned skin, rich black hair that reached well past his shoulders, a beanie on his head, and a pair of oval-shaped, violet-tinted shades. Despite the man's unassuming cargo pants and sweater, his stubble-dotted square jaw and confident posture were indicators of an inner calm and strength. Even with his easel and paints missing, Maya could tell that he was the Demon Painter, the Velvet Room denizen who could take blank cards and, with his brushes and knives, could convert them tarot cards that Igor could use to call forth Personae from the Collective Unconsciousness.

It was when the Demon Painter heeded her when Maya noticed just how _drastically _different the Velvet Room looked: several stairs descended and ascended to nowhere, and massive clockwork gears hung out in the infinite macrocosm of a deep, rich, violet-colored sky. The piano and microphone were missing, and Igor was nowhere to be found, although her companions were nicely laid out on the floor.

"You're the painter…did you save us?" Maya asked, shivering.

The artist nodded his head, a grave look settling on his face. "I indeed did take all of you in here. The Velvet Room had changed its shape some time before your arrival, however…my master, the pianist, and the singer had left, and then it just…" He put his hand on his head, looking downtrodden.

"It seems as though it changed rather suddenly, am I right?" asked Maya. She let out a sneeze, to the artist's concern.

"I think I'll wait on explaining until the rest of you are awake." The artist fished out a drawer full of robes, and, by sheer coincidence, a dryer. When Maya raised a brow in confusion, he quipped:

"I was a regular human like you once. Unlike the rest, I don't mind giving some compassion to guests. There's a curtain in the back for privacy."

Maya found her way to the back and began to strip down, looking out at the artist with a wary stare. Life was strange indeed.

* * *

><p>With efficiency and gentleness, the Suou brothers, Baofu and Ulala were robed and propped on a couch, while Lisa, Eikichi and Jun were tucked away in a separate "sick area" that the painter set up on the fly. Maya emerged, and much to her happiness, Ulala ran up to her, tackling her in a bear hug.<p>

"Ma-ya, it's about time you showed up! I thought you fainted in there or something!" Ulala nuzzled her head on top of Maya's. Katsuya looked on to them, his face glowing pink at the sight of his crush and her friend's…chest areas…rubbing together. Tatsuya stifled a giggle. Baofu, ever capricious, elbowed him a little too hard for comfort.

"Oh my, could it be that our straight-laced gumshoe is actually a…" Baofu mock-gasped. "…Complete and utter pervert? How can this be?" He smacked his head and fake-fainted. "What is to become of the Japanese police force!? Have they no honorable men left!?"

Katsuya's lip curled up in fury. Swiftly, he gripped onto Tatsuya's wayward katana that was left on the table. The younger man stopped him, frantically waving his hands in fear.

"All right, settle down," the Demon Painter came to them. He had a box in his hands, with three distinct objects inside: a set of sparring equipment, some flowers, and a conspicuously large guitar case. Tatsuya gasped. "I have something to tell you all…"

"You aren't going to make my old friends fight, are you!?" Tatsuya shouted, pointing at the weapons on the box. "They're in no shape to fight! They can't even summon their Personas…"

"Settle down, Tatsuya." The painter maintained a firm stance. "Listen to me…because of that rumor about the coffee shop in Narumi Ward, your friends are regaining their memories as we speak…"

Despair hung over Tatsuya's face. "No…"

"But!" He held his finger out. "Did you not feel those painful sensations as you were being dragged underwater? You did not drown, whereas if it were a normal flood, all of you would have died at least two times over. You are now here, in this newly changed Velvet Room. Tell me, did all of you hear a bell ringing before you were dragged by the tide?"

The five members in the room all stared at one another, seeking answers. Katsuya spoke first. "Actually, when we were at Ebony, I think I heard something ringing. It's funny, because we had a Christian Church in Regendai a number of years ago. It's been long gone, though."

"I heard it too," Ulala piped in, and Maya nodded her head, also confirming her hearing.

"That bell's ringing," the painter began, "did not come from reality."

Silence befell the room. Despite all of what they had gone through, this dropped bomb was a first.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Tatsuya.

"I heard it when I was alone in the Velvet Room, before its transformation into what it is now." He gestured towards the massive spanning of clockwork gears before them. "I have a theory that all of you, and possibly those three children as well, have been purposefully summoned here."

"Summoned…?" Baofu raised a brow. "Is this that…Crawling Chaos' doing? Or maybe Gozen's?"

"No…I need to do some research. But know this: Philemon, and this Velvet Room, are inseparable from the fates of their visitors. All of you were bought here for a reason, as was I." The painter looked away, forlorn. Was that a glimpse of sympathy in his eyes, tinted as they were? Maya thought so.

"So we aren't in Sumaru anymore…what of my friends? Their memories are coming back, you said…" Tatsuya stood, inching closer to the painter in fear. "If they return, then…"

"Ah, yes…I said that I'd need to research it, but I think that we are in a…different reality from where you are from." The painter, in a rare gesture of affection, placed his hands on Tatsuya's shoulders. "In a way, your summoning here was convenient. As long as you, Maya, and your former friends are not in Sumaru – the reality all of you were born in – then your world is safe. Their returning memories will likely be traumatizing, but you have escaped the wrath of the Crawling Chaos…for now."

"Seriously!?" Tatsuya's face lit up. "Are you absolutely sure that Sumaru and the rest of the world will be -!?"

The painter gave a firm nod, a small smile creeping onto his face.

For the first time in a long time, Tatsuya was happy. His body gave way behind him as he sighed, feeling as though he were floating in midair. His brother caught him, and he, too, was smiling, as Tatsuya finally seemed to have peace of mind. It wouldn't last, that was true, but Sumaru's destruction was postponed. The three friends, however, were still an issue.

"I have a thought…" the painter spoke again. "I have not taken a look outside yet, but the air is so different from where you are all from. Take a rest for a while, and all of the adults can go outside and take a look. Tatsuya, I advise that you watch over your old friends…they will, in all likelihood, be confused and afraid. Your presence will surely ease their pain."

"That's a good idea. I'll do it," Tatsuya spoke, full of an unusual amount of vigor. He turned to Maya, who kept her silence the entire time. "Maya…you've stood by my brother and your friends for some time now. Can you lead them?"

He turned to her, a mysterious smile on his face. Her adult friends also turned to her, a mixture of hope and reluctance shared among them.

"_Tatsuya and the others have faith in me…" _Maya gently nodded her head in agreement.

"Very well then. Look outside and see what you can find."

* * *

><p>The four adults opened the Velvet Room door and were met with quite the surprise: a school festival.<p>

The school was nothing like Sevens, or even Kasugayama for that matter: the floors were lined with oiled wood, the walls painted a soft white, decorated with a rainbow of paper lanterns and other decor. The filtering sunlight and pale blue sky that filtered through the window only added more vibrancy to this already-vibrant festival. Above Katsuya's head was a sign for a "Half-Baked Kitchen," and off to the end of the hall, he could see a sign for a "Canned Film Festival," chuckling at the pun. Already added to this seemingly "rustic" (for lack of a better term) school was the students' uniforms: the girls wore sailor _fuku_ that were dominantly black in color, while the boys wore black _gakuran _with visible white stitching. Behind them was the Velvet Room door, which had accommodated its appearance to blend in with the rest of the schools' doors.

It was in full swing, with the film festival display students offering pamphlets with what was showing. A boy from the kitchen promoted their newest batch of takoyaki, homemade and ready to eat. A gaggle of girls cooed over another boy who had an acoustic guitar out for the occasion.

The whole scene put a radiant smile on Maya's face. "I remember our festival when I was a Sevens student…I'm getting a little nostalgic…" She stepped forward to get a better look at the takoyaki boy.

Ulala frowned. When Katsuya elbowed her arm in question, she gestured him to her level: "Ma-ya's always been like that. She gets nostalgic easily, you know? I think that there's an old poster from one of those old magical girl shows in her room…"

"Is that right?" Baofu inquired.

"We were at a matchmaking party_," _Ulala said nervously, "and that show was one of the first things she mentioned to this guy who was hitting on her. He was pretty damn hot too, and she drove him off! Once a woman hits a certain age, liking that sort of thing gets a little weird, you know? Geez, Ma-ya's never gonna get that family she wants like that. I mean, how would you feel if I walked up to you and said, 'Hey, my name's Ulala Serizawa, I'm a saleswoman, and what I really like is _Magical Devil Silky Momo?'_"

"…Serizawa-san, what's a matchmaking party?" Katsuya asked, head cocked. Baofu face-palmed.

"Suou, I worry for you sometimes. I mean, do you even _know _where babies come from?" Baofu asked. Katsuya's face burned like a tomato, half embarrassed, half eager to shoot the asshat in the face.

It was agreed between the three of them that they'd split up; Katsuya would go to the students running the festival, Baofu opted to check outside, and Ulala would crawl around the halls with Maya, providing she didn't get seduced by the festival first…

Ulala grabbed Maya by the arm, just as she obtained a boat of succulent octopus balls from the boy. "Ma-ya, did you forget why we came here already? We need to scout out this area…did that boy give that to you?"

Maya cheerfully fished out a takoyaki from the paper boat. The scent of the wheat flour batter and the minced octopus permeated both ladies' senses. "He sure did! He's energetic as hell about it too! Look at him!" She pointed at the boy, who was now, against all logic, spinning a takoyaki boat on top of his nose, balancing on one foot.

"Ma-ya…we're at a high school festival. Did that boy not find it weird that a twenty-three year old magazine editor wanted some of his takoyaki? Hell, didn't any of the other students say anything?"

"Huh?" Maya stuffed one in her mouth, oblivious.

"Ma-ya, are you serious right now!? Stop eating that thing!" She snatched the boat from her friend's hand. "We're supposed to see what's the deal with this place! You would think that one of the kids here would find having a bunch of random adults loitering would be weird, but look!" She waved her hand in front of a random girl's face. She didn't notice at all. "We might as well be ghosts!"

Maya glanced back at the takoyaki boy, who was now breakdancing, kicking the boat on his feet. "He really didn't say anything…maybe you're right. I asked him how he made it, and he asked me if I was enjoying myself…I just thought he was air-headed, but when you put it that way…"

"I asked where this place was, and this kid told me this school's called 'Yasogami High.' Then I asked where the hell it was, and the kid goes, 'this festival is awesome!' This place is fishy. Let's go regroup with Bao and Big Suou."

"I don't know, Ulala…maybe these kids are just really into it?" At that moment, the breakdancing takoyaki boy backflipped into the wall, with a fresh batch of hot oil frying him in the crotch.

Ulala sighed, her patience wearing thin. "Didn't you _just _say you were gonna take this seriously, Leader? Are you just doing it because Little Suou said so? Come on, let's go." She huffed and walked back to the Velvet Room door, where the men waited for them.

Maya's face fell. "Did she really just say that…? I'm doing what I can…Tatsuya said -"

Tatsuya said...

Was she really so dependent on him?

* * *

><p>"You three…don't freak out when I say this, but when I tried to exit the front gate, I took a step and it took me back inside. It's like a loop. I also tried going over the fence, but the same thing happened." Baofu rubbed his head. "Damn, I have a headache…"<p>

"So…we're trapped here?" Ulala gasped. "We can't get out? At all? Ever?"

"Seems like it," Katsuya spoke. "None of the students here can form a coherent response to any of my questions. Those doors in the Velvet Room are locked like a bank vault…"

Gasps spurted from Ulala's throat. Baofu braced himself for the inevitable shouting, cussing, and panic-driven beatdown. All that she needed were her boxing tape and a martini, and he'd find himself flying through one of the windows with a bajillion cuts that wouldn't heal for a week. That, or she'd just knee him in the testicles. That too.

Ulala slumped to the floor. "We're stuck here…."

Baofu braced for the groin attack. He questioned himself, and the gods, as to why she wasn't doing it. Or cussing. Or…apparently the Demon Painter was right about them being in some weird new dimension. What the hell happened to Ulala?

"This doesn't look good…we'll need to come up with a plan…haaah…hooo…" Ulala inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down. "Gotta stay calm…gotta stay calm…"

Katsuya frowned, wary of Ulala's distressed state. "Er…would it be bad to mention to you all that I think there may be demons lurking around here?"

"Gah!" Ulala shot up – her head, by accident, bashed Baofu's chin, making him topple over. "Are you serious right now, Big Suou!?"

"Yeah, seriously Big Suou, your timing sucks!" Baofu groaned, clutching his chin in pain.

"But it's true! I sensed their presence somewhere on this floor! It was a classroom display…" Katsuya's face flushed.

Maya, having been quiet up to this point, patted Katsuya on the shoulder. "Well, let's think of it as our first clue. The painter said that this place wasn't normal, and we've got the clues to prove it. Whatever this place is, it's also got a demon nest! Good job, Suou-san!"

Maya's pearly whites flashed, her face a sunny, radiant smile. Katsuya's heart skipped a beat.

"Now Suou-san, lead the way for us!" Maya said cheerfully. "Adventure, ho!" A still awestruck Katsuya lead the way, albeit not without bumping into a wall at least three times. The other two sighed in defeat.

* * *

><p><em>Second Floor, Class 2 Display, "You in Wonderland…"<em>

"I felt their presence here…it was faint, but there are definitely demons here. Although…"

The four adults stood with a mixture of confusion and amusement at the gaudy, green and pink display. Paper mache bushes and paper flowers were lined up against the wall. A stuffed pink rabbit in a suit gestured towards the entrance, which was covered by a crimson-colored curtain. The display's sign, which was pink and lined with playing cards, bore its name.

"You in Wonderland…? Is this like based on the book or something?" Ulala asked.

"The flyer says here, 'now you can walk in Alice's shoes!'" Baofu spoke with a mock-girl voice. "Why the hell would anybody want to walk in some dim-witted girl's shoes? She winds up in Wonderland because she can't deal with day-to-day life…"

"Gee, somebody's grumpy," Ulala teased. "It's a children's book you know, not everything's gonna be as profound as _The Tale of Genji…_not that I can see the profoundness in that."

"You take that back!"

"Please you two, don't fight…" Maya pleaded to them, splitting them apart. They grimaced. "Besides, something's been bothering me for a while…"

"What is it, Ma-ya?"

"Um, has anyone else noticed that our pool of reserved Personas is missing?"

Silence befell the room.

Though reluctant to check, Baofu shut his eyes and began to breathe, entering a meditative-like trance. He swam through his mind, digging into its vast depths for another "mask," another Persona…

…He snapped from his trance, looking disappointed.

"Amano's right. I can only sense Odysseus within me. All of the others are gone…"

Ulala sighed. "This is turning into one hell of an _amazing _journey, yeah? We're stuck in some bumfuck countryside high school with no Personas and demons crawling around. Great. Awesome. And now that I look at it, we lost our equipment too, didn't we?"

"Yep!" Maya replied with a smile.

"Ughhh…what are we gonna do?"

Like a Deus ex Machina, the Demon Painter found them, relieved that they were safe. "Never fear, you four. I was able to salvage your weapons when you came here." He then pulled out three guns (a standard-issue Nambu pistol and two gaudy looking pink Colt Pony pistols), a sack of arcade tokens, and some boxing tape. Ulala cheered.

"Gee Painter-san, you sure know just when to deliver good news!" She eagerly took the boxing tape from him, glaring at a particular pale-skinned wearing pink shades. "Unlike _some _people!" Katsuya looked away in shame.

"It's my job to assist, remember?" He glanced at the entrance of You in Wonderland. "And I will continue to do so at this moment. You sensed demons in there, right? You will most certainly need my help. Besides, though my research is threadbare, I can fully assert now that this is not a part of reality at all."

"What!?" Maya gasped.

"This place has no meaning. It is in a continuous state of flux. Actually, with how powerful the rumors have gotten in your native Sumaru, this place is arguably similar to the city's current state…reality distorting, and rife with demons. Yet this place exists in a place that's 'deeper' than either Sumaru or the Velvet Room…" The painter put his hand under his chin, as if in thought.

The four adults mulled over his words. The implications were immense, but there only seemed to be one solution that they could tackle at the moment.

"So we're trapped in this strange place…but there's no other options for us right now, other than the one in front of us," Maya said, gesturing at You in Wonderland. "There are demons inside, we have at least one Persona for each of us, and we have our weapons. What else is there to do other than investigate this area?"

"Amano's right," Baofu said, nodding his head. "Hopefully we can find some clues in here. Besides, if there are demons, we can probably snag some goods from them, yeah? It'll be a start."

"Yes. And remember this," said the painter. "Many Personas are derived from the demons you've met. Many demons are born from the Collective Unconsciousness. Tarot cards that you can obtain from them are like fragments of their very being…I do not know fusion, but I can convert tarot cards into single Personas with my paints and my canvas, at least."

From his trans-dimensional pocket, the painter pulled out four earpieces. "This is outside my jurisdiction, but my master is gone, and I feel like helping for a change." He smirked. "I'll communicate with you from the Velvet Room. From there, I can sense your location and any enemies you might encounter. Kinda like radar, you know? Since you're only searching for clues, I wouldn't go too far into this area; not yet anyway. There are some pretty nasty presences inside, on top of something other than demons lurking."

"Something other than demons, you say?" Baofu asked.

"Yes. They are…more wild. More animalistic. You cannot negotiate with them. If they look weak, take them out, and if they don't, run away."

"How will we know what these creatures look like?" It was Katsuya's turn to ask.

"They are very distinct from demons. All of them have some kind of mask on their body. They also will not hesitate to attack you."

"Fair enough."

"I'll also let you know when Tatsuya's friends wake up."

"You've been so good to us, Painter-san…" Maya smiled. Without any sort of hesitation, she gave him a hug, much to his embarrassment.

"Er…anything for our guests…ah ha ha…"

The team took a few minutes to equip themselves and prepare. For one minute, they were in Sumaru going after corrupted politicians and chasing after demons, and the next, they were now in the middle of nowhere, possibly in another dimension, stumbling into danger completely blind. It was a peculiar feeling, to say the least. Maya mentally steeled herself for the road ahead. The others were depending on her as their leader, after all.

"All right Leader, are you all set?" Ulala asked, boxing tape on her hands and body raring to go.

"Heehee…I like the sound of that…" Maya giggled. "I'm ready, my dear subordinate."

"Be serious now, Amano," Baofu sighed. A slight smile formed on his lips, despite his words.

Opening the red curtain, the four adults slowly stepped into the labyrinth within, unaware of the dangers and strangeness that lied ahead…

* * *

><p><em>Current Party Status<em>

Maya Amano (Back Row)

Persona: Maia

Level: 1

Arcana: Moon

Str: 5

Ma: 13

En: 4

Wi: 10

Ag: 8

Lu: 6

Resist: Water

Block: Light/Dark

Absorb: N/A

Reflect: N/A

Weak: Slash

Persona Abilities

Aqua: A light Water attack (1 enemy)

Media: Restores a light amount of HP (all allies)

Next: Hama: Slight chance of instant-kill (Light-based, 1 enemy) (Lv. 6)

Equipment

Colt Pony .380 x2: Lightweight handguns suitable for dual wielding, painted pink.

Sexy Suit: Hoodie and skirt with a…distinct design.

Mr. Bunbun: Bunny-shaped charm.

* * *

><p><span>Ulala Serizawa (Front Row)<span>

Persona: Callisto

Level: 1

Arcana: Star

Str: 9

Ma: 7

En: 9

Wi: 7

Ag: 11

Lu: 4

Resist: Earth

Block: N/A

Absorb: N/A

Reflect: N/A

Weak: Wind

Persona Abilities

Magna: A light Earth attack (1 enemy)

Marin Karin: Inflicts Charm on 1 enemy

Next: Mamagna: A light Earth attack (all enemies) (Lv. 8)

Equipment

Boxing tape: Simple cotton tape with a rubber-based adhesive.

Spider web Dress: Lacy green dress with a spider web motif.

Small Wristwatch: Watch with a thick black band.

* * *

><p><span>Katsuya Suou (Back Row)<span>

Persona: Helios

Level: 1

Arcana: Justice

Str: 11

Ma: 6

En: 9

Wi: 9

Ag: 5

Lu: 8

Resist: Pierce

Block: N/A

Absorb: Fire

Reflect: N/A

Weak: Water

Persona Abilities

Agi: A light Fire attack (1 enemy)

Scratch: A light slash attack (1 enemy)

Next: Patra: Removes all status ailments except for Petrification (1 ally) (Lv. 7)

Equipment

New Nambu M60: A standard-issue firearm used by Japanese policemen.

Oxford Suit: Katsuya's preferred suit, bought in an attempt to look stylish.

Rose-tinted Shades: Pinkish-tinted sunglasses.

* * *

><p><span>Baofu (Front Row)<span>

Persona: Odysseus

Level: 1

Arcana: Hanged Man

Str: 12

Ma: 5

En: 10

Wi: 6

Ag: 4

Lu: 10

Resist: Wind

Block: Lightning

Absorb: N/A

Reflect: N/A

Weak: Earth

Persona Abilities

Garu: A light Wind attack (1 enemy)

Illuzone: Inflicts Blind on one enemy

Next: Ninety-Nine Needles: Light stab attack that pierces to the back row (all enemies). (Lv. 10)

Equipment

Arcade Tokens: Ordinary arcade tokens enhanced by Baofu's _chi._

Yellow Trench Coat: An extremely inconspicuous-looking trench coat.

Violet-tinted Shades: Coke-bottle shaped shades.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Notes<em>

I really liked the element setup in the _Persona 2 _games, because they include freaking water and earth. It feels strange without it. Granted, they also had two additional physical move types (thrown and havoc...whatever that is) that weren't that great. For those of you who played the older games, water and earth will be used, as will gravity (Gry) and nuclear (Frei). I also added a "blind" status ailment, which reduces aim, and the "Will" stat, which is magic defense (this type of stat was used in the older games). There were also buffs that enhanced only magic and only magic defense, as opposed the to the current catchall Tarukaja and Rakukaja spells.

Just felt like having a status screen...

_The Tale of Genji _is a work of literature written by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court during Japan's Heian period. It is largely considered to be the world's first modern novel, and the first novel to be considered a literary classic.


End file.
